Body-brace.



No. 703,477. Patented july I, |902.

M. W. RUSSELL. l

BUDY BRACE.

(Application led Apr. lll, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MANNING WV. RUSSELL, OF JOAQUIN, TEXAS.

BODY-BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,477, dated July 1, 1902.

lApplication filed April 14, 1902. Serial No. 102.905. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, MANNING. W. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joaquin, in the county of lShelby and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful.

Improvements in Body-Braces; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use 'the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

and consequently the bending over and strain-` ing of the various muscles of the body.

More specifically my invention consists in the provision of 'a device for relieving strain upon the body when the same is in an inclined' position, and comprises spring rods or wires which are connected at their upperends to a chest-pad adapted to be held across the chestl of the wearer by the iiexibleiwires orv rods,D Y

while the lower ends are provided with kneepads formed by bending the wire to form said pads, which latter are held over the leg at a location adjacent to theknee, the device being held to the body by means of a suitable strap. The brace is so applied that 'the springs, which are coiled at their central p0rtions, will be disposed on either side of the hips of the wearer and will be under tension when the person wearing the same bends over, throwing the strain uponlthe leg above' the knee and notinconveniencin g the operator by wearing the device. p

The invention consists, fu'rther, in various details of construction, which-will be hereinafter fully described and then specilically deiined in the appended claims.

Myinvention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view showing rny improved brace as applied to the body of the wearer. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the device by itself.

, Reference now being had to the details of lthe Vdrawings by letter, A designates a wire, which is bent upon itself at A', forming two portions B and B', each of which is bent to form coils, as at E E. A pad F is fastened over the portion of the Wire which isfbent at its longitudinal center, and said pad is of a suicient size to Vextend over the major part of the chest of the wearer. A body-strap G is vfastened at one end to one portion of the wire adjacent to the coil therein, while its other end is adapted to be passed around a portion of the body and fastened to the other part of the wire adjacent to the second coil, whereby the device may be securely held to the body of the wearer. The lower end of each section of the wire is bent at right angles at K, thence into a semicircle, thence again at right angles, and again bent into semicircular form,with its end fastened at L, thus forming a concaved socket member adapted to t over the leg of the wearer' at any suitable location, preferably near the knee." A soft pad N is fastened to said socket member in order to prevent the metallic portions ofthe flexible wire chafing the-leg. Eachlower end of the wire is bent as described, forming afsocket portion for each leg.

When thendevice isapplied tothe body of the wearer, the pad'n'orlnally rests against the chest'of the wearer,while the pads at the lower ends engage over the legs of the person.

When the wearer of the device stands erect,

there is no tension upon the wire; but when the wearer stoops the wire will become under tension and will bear against the chest and legs, thus relieving the back of strain which would otherwise be caused. The farther over the person stoops the greater will be the pressure upon the chest and legs by reason of the increased tension of the spring, as will be understood.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a device made in accordance with my invention will greatly assist persons having work which necessitates their` bending over or stooping and will relieve the muscles of the back of undue strain;

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A body-brace, comprising a flexible wire ses which is bent at its center forming two porstrap for holding the device to the body ofthe tions= each of which is turned into a coil, a wearer, portions of each arm adjacent to its pad held above the coiled portion of the wire end being bent in selnicircular form, and pads and adapted to be held by the wire against the fastened between said semioircular portions, 15 5 chest of the wearer, a strap for holding the deas set forth.

Vic-e to the body of the wearer, and leg-pads In testimony whereof l afx my signature at the ends of said wire, as set forth. in presence of two witnesses.

2. A body-brace, comprising a flexible wire MANNING W. RUSSELL. or rod bent at its longitudinal center forming Vitnesses: 1o two arms, each arm being bent to form a coil, ANT. STUART,

a pad above the middle portion of the wire, a JOE NEWTON. 

